3 Things Only Experienced Web Developers Know…

Ask any web developer worth their salt what are the 3 most important things that enable them to do their jobs successfully and you’ll hear the same things over and over.

1. Educated clients
2. Realistic Budget
3. Realistic Timeframe

So let’s talk about each of these.

Educated Clients. “Educated” in the sense that they’ve been involved with web development before. That they understand the difference between development and design. That they know what is achievable (and NOT achievable) with technology. Educated in the sense that they understand that web development is a combination of science and art. Most importantly, if a client is not educated, that they at least be willing to BE educated.

Realistic Budget. How many times have you been on the receiving end of clients or customers who want the world but don’t expect to pay for it? For developers, having a realistic budget enables them to utilize the best tools & resources to get the job done. Having a realistic budget enables them to put in the required time to plan, build and deploy. Having a realistic budget makes developers happy. Having an unrealistic, lowball budget is crippling, frustrating and makes it harder to do their jobs.

Realistic Timeframe. Can you put up a site in a week? Sure. Will it be good? Probably not. Developers usually work on multiple projects and their time is a limited resource. To expect a developer to drop everything and move your site or project to the front of the queue is unrealistic…except, of course, if you’re willing to pay a premium for it. That said, developers only begin work on sites after interviewing you and your team and determining what the scope of work is. If you tell them you need a 5 page site without bells and whistles, that’s one thing. If you decide after the project begins that what you really want a 15 page site, need some video embedded and want some custom functionality (etc.), then you’ve changed the scope of work and the time it will take to finish the project. Understand this. It’s critical. Also, changing specs and scope of work mid-project is frustrating to a developer. Try to avoid it. That’s why it’s important to plan out your site and it’s functionality before any development (or design) begins.